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Sustainability in action

October 30, 2015

Every day, in countless ways, Buckeyes take responsibility for their environmental footprint and add sustainability to the list of reasons to be proud of Ohio State. Use this interactive map to discover many ways sustainability initiatives are flourishing here.

When you think Ohio State, do you think sustainability?

You should.

The university meets more than 20 percent of its Columbus campus electricity needs with wind power. Utilizing the Zero Waste program at Ohio Stadium, Buckeyes diverted 95.2 percent of football game-day materials from the landfill during the 2014 season. There is an incredible array of groundbreaking environment-related research: studying wetlands on campus, examining ice cores from around the globe and creating the world’s first solar battery.
And the list doesn’t end there.

Stories

“Block O” solar panels

RPAC

The panels produce an estimated 116,000 kilowatt-hours of energy per year.

The Recreation and Physical Activity Center (RPAC) is everyone’s favorite place to break a sweat or grab a smoothie. But few may be aware that resting on its roof is a large array of solar panels in the shape of a “Block O.”

Installed in 2014 in collaboration with AEP Energy, the panels produce an estimated 116,000 kilowatt-hours of energy per year.

EnCORE House

This student-designed, net-zero house is used for research and education.

The house is considered net-zero: Any energy consumed is produced by the house itself. This is accomplished through the use of solar panels, super-insulated walls, a bioremediation system and several other strategies.

EnCORE House is used for research and education, and can be reserved as a meeting space. To reserve, contact energy.environment.osu.edu or 614-247-4762.

Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center

The center keeps 7,000 meters of ice from 50-plus expeditions in storage for research and educational purposes.

Ohio State’s oldest research center, the Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center is a world leader in climate and polar research. The center keeps 7,000 meters of ice from 50-plus expeditions in storage for research and educational purposes.

Wetlands research park

The Wilma H. Schiermeier Olentangy River Wetlands Research Park contains three experimental wetlands and a hardwood forest.

The Wilma H. Schiermeier Olentangy River Wetlands Research Park is a 52-acre research site that contains three experimental wetlands and a hardwood forest. The School of Environment and Natural Resources’ aquatics program is also housed in the wetlands.

The wetlands offer opportunities for undergraduate- and graduate-level training, as well as provide environmental services to the greater Columbus community, such as water purification, erosion control and increased biodiversity. Want to check it out? Hop on the Olentangy Greenway bike trail, which runs through the wetlands research park.

McCracken Power Plant

This plant provides enough steam to handle 85 percent of the heating and cooling for the Columbus campus.

Though the McCracken Power Plant produces no electricity, it provides enough steam to support 85 percent of the heating and cooling for the buildings on the Columbus campus.

McCracken was originally a coal-fired power plant, but from 2004 to 2006 the plant underwent a multimillion-dollar transition from coal to natural gas. Natural gas burns cleaner than coal, and air pollution on campus dropped by 78 percent due to McCracken’s fuel source switch.

In the spring of 2015, McCracken started its sixth natural-gas-fired boiler to accommodate growing campus steam demands.

Zero Waste expansion

Ohio Stadium

After a successful start in Ohio Stadium, the program is expanding to the Jerome Schottenstein Center.

Feeling guilty about all those food and beverage containers you go through while watching the Buckeyes? Don’t! Ohio State achieved a 95.2 percent diversion rate of waste from the landfill during home football games in 2014 through the Zero Waste at Ohio Stadium program, which began in 2011. Fans divert waste by using recycling and compost bins throughout the stadium, and volunteers gather the rest after games.

The Zero Waste program is expanding: The Jerome Schottenstein Center has special equipment to divert food scraps from the landfill. Similar systems are installed at the Ohio Union, Kennedy Commons and the Blackwell Inn and Conference Center.

Center for Automotive Research

The center's research focuses on energy, safety and the environment, aimed at improving sustainable mobility. CAR offers state-of-the-art facilities for students, faculty, research staff and industry partners.

Mirror Lake improvements

Mirror Lake previously drew nearly 50,000 gallons of potable water daily before more sustainable solutions were found in 2011.

One of the most scenic locations on campus, Mirror Lake previously drew nearly 50,000 gallons of potable daily.

In 2011, the Mirror Lake Enhancement Study was set in motion, with researchers, engineers and students boosting the lake’s sustainability. Now the main water source is from a campus well. By October 2015, daily potable water use decreased more than 98 percent.

Chadwick Arboretum & Learning Gardens

Home to more than 120 species of trees, the arboretum is open year-round and free to visit.

Housed on 62 acres of university land and home to more than 120 species of trees, the arboretum is open year-round and free to visit. It serves as an outdoor classroom, a training center, a recreational hotspot and a venue for events ranging from gardening workshops to yoga classes.

Student organizations

Make a difference by getting involved in one of the sustainability-focused student groups on campus.

There are more than 90 sustainability-focused student organizations on campus, including Students for a Sustainable Campus, Students for Recycling, the Sierra Club Student Coalition and Project Green OSU. If you share a passion for sustainable living, get involved and make a difference on campus and beyond.

SUSTAINS Learning Community

Scott House

Students interested in pursuing careers related to sustainability live and learn together on campus.

In 2014, Ohio State launched a new learning community devoted to sustainability. In its inaugural year, SUSTAINS (Students Understanding Sustainability and Taking Action to Improve Nature and Society) was comprised of 15 students from a variety of majors who had an interest in pursuing a career related to sustainability and in living and learning with students who were as passionate about that topic as they were.

The group volunteered around campus throughout the year: passing out recycling bags to tailgaters, renovating the Jennings Hall rain gardens, doing restoration work on the wetlands, assisting with the Ohio State recycling audit and more. The learning community expanded to 40 students in 2015.

Wind power

Columbus campus

The university purchases wind power to meet about 21 percent of the Columbus campus’ electricity needs.

Perhaps one of the most significant demonstrations of Ohio State’s commitment to sustainable practices is the university’s purchasing 50 megawatts of wind energy capacity from Blue Creek Wind Farm, located near Van Wert, Ohio.

It is one of the largest purchases of renewable energy by any university in the country, producing about 21 percent of the Columbus campus’ electricity needs and a step toward becoming a carbon neutral university, a long-term goal at Ohio State.

Rain gardens

Plants help filter rainwater and reduce runoff.

See sustainability in action by visiting Jennings Hall’s rain gardens. The plants help filter rainwater and reduce runoff. The gardens are cleaned and replanted annually by teams of student volunteers.

School of Environment and Natural Resources

Kottman Hall

The school’s fastest-growing major is the new Environment, Economy, Development and Sustainability major, added in fall 2012.

Today, the school is served by 40 full-time faculty and 75 administrative, research and teaching staff. More than 18,000 students have studied here, with graduates choosing careers from wetland ecologists to park rangers to environmental policy analysts.

The school’s fastest-growing major is the new Environment, Economy, Development and Sustainability major, added in fall 2012.

First LEED-certified building

The Nationwide and Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center

In 2008, the Nationwide and Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center became Ohio State’s first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design-certified building. The LEED certification was obtained by meeting criteria for site sustainability, water efficiency, materials and resources, quality of the indoor environment, energy and atmosphere.

Ohio State has a Green Build Policy for construction that aims for buildings to be certified as LEED Silver, though several have attained LEED Gold status.

Energy-conservation project

Biomedical Research Tower

Ohio State continues its building energy conservation measures targeting five of the university’s most energy-intensive buildings, including the Biomedical Research Tower.
These buildings account for less than 8 percent of the university’s total building space but more than 12 percent of its energy consumption. Implementation of numerous energy conservation measures in these five buildings was completed in 2015, with a projected savings of $1 million annually.

Energy-conservation project

Physics Research Building

Ohio State continues its building energy conservation measures targeting five of the university’s most energy-intensive buildings, including the Physics Research Building.
These buildings account for less than 8 percent of the university’s total building space but more than 12 percent of its energy consumption. Implementation of numerous energy conservation measures in these five buildings was completed in 2015, with a projected savings of $1 million annually.

Energy-conservation project

RPAC

Ohio State continues its building energy conservation measures targeting five of the university’s most energy-intensive buildings, including the Recreation and Physical Activities Center (RPAC).
These buildings account for less than 8 percent of the university’s total building space but more than 12 percent of its energy consumption. Implementation of numerous energy conservation measures in these five buildings was completed in 2015, with a projected savings of $1 million annually.

Energy-conservation project

Scott Laboratory

Ohio State continues its building energy conservation measures targeting five of the university’s most energy-intensive buildings, including Scott Laboratory.
These buildings account for less than 8 percent of the university’s total building space but more than 12 percent of its energy consumption. Implementation of numerous energy conservation measures in these five buildings was completed in 2015, with a projected savings of $1 million annually.

Energy-conservation project

Veterinary Medical Center

Ohio State continues its building energy conservation measures targeting five of the university’s most energy-intensive buildings, including the Veterinary Medical Center.
These buildings account for less than 8 percent of the university’s total building space but more than 12 percent of its energy consumption. Implementation of numerous energy conservation measures in these five buildings was completed in 2015, with a projected savings of $1 million annually.

Dining Services food production

Howlett Hall

Ohio State’s Dining Services and the College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences teamed up to grow a portion of the fresh produce served to students in the greenhouses at Howlett Hall. Staff plant experts and student volunteers oversee the farm-to-table system, which reduces the distance food must travel, promotes eating locally grown food and provides fresher food.

World’s first solar battery

Scott Laboratory

In 2014, Ohio State Professor Yiying Wu, doctoral students Xiaodi Ren and Mingzhe Yu, and other researchers collaborated to create the world’s first solar battery. A solar panel and battery all in one, their creation captures and stores energy more efficiently than a solar panel connected to an external battery. It already achieves a 20 percent energy savings over traditional lithium-iodine batteries.

LEED Silver building

Ohio Union

LEED Silver building

Student Academic Services Building

LEED Silver building

Cunz Hall

LEED Silver building

Kennedy Commons

LEED Silver building

Neighborhood Policing Center

LEED Gold building

Park-Stradley Hall

LEED Gold building

Smith-Steeb Hall

LEED Gold building

Health Sciences Library

LEED Gold building

Residences on Tenth

Rooftop garden

Howlett Hall

Howlett Hall’s rooftop garden became a reality in 2013 and is estimated to divert 191,000 gallons of storm water runoff per year.

Geothermal wells

South campus

Ohio State utilizes more than 400 geothermal wells to heat and cool campus residence halls more efficiently. The use of nearly 150 wells near Hale Hall and more than 250 in the South Oval will meet an estimated 31 percent of the heating and cooling needs of south campus residence halls.

Geothermal wells

South campus

Ohio State utilizes more than 400 geothermal wells to heat and cool campus residence halls more efficiently. The use of nearly 150 wells near Hale Hall and more than 250 in the South Oval will meet an estimated 31 percent of the heating and cooling needs of south campus residence halls.

Geothermal wells

South campus

Ohio State utilizes more than 400 geothermal wells to heat and cool campus residence halls more efficiently. Fifty wells lie adjacent to the 11th Avenue Parking Garage and heat and cool the student housing at the Residences on Tenth.

Tree Campus USA

Did you know the Columbus campus has maintained the Tree Campus USA designation since 2012? Since 2011, Ohio State began to prioritize the diversity of the campus tree canopy, the planting of hundreds of new trees and the mapping of existing trees as part of a comprehensive tree inventory project.

Olentangy River restoration

Ohio State supported a multi-phase city of Columbus project, which entailed the removal of the Fifth Avenue Dam and restoration of the Olentangy River Corridor. Completed in 2014, the effort continues to yield aesthetic, environmental and academic project benefits that will become increasingly visible in the years to come.

Bike-share program

The university has brought a bike sharing program to its Columbus campus, providing a safe and sustainable alternative transportation option for the university community. The program offers 115 bikes at 15 stations. Students and staff can sign up for an annual membership or, like visitors, can opt to rent bikes by the hour. Once you rent your wheels, take a spin on the Olentangy Greenway: a bike trail following the river as far south as downtown and as far north as Delaware County.

Car-share program

Take advantage of the Car2Go car-sharing program, now offered at the Columbus campus. Sign up for the program online, and then use any of the cars anytime.

Charge up

Scavenge at Surplus

One person’s trash is another’s treasure. The Ohio State Surplus Property Management System ensures that university equipment is disposed of in a fair, economical and ecological way, which could include recycling, repurposing or even selling items to the Ohio State community. Thus, many materials and items are diverted from the landfill.

Student and faculty recycling

Recycling and Refuse Services

Ohio State uses a co-mingled recycling system, in which all recyclables can be placed in one container. Paper, bottle-shaped plastics, cardboard, metal cans and glass are all acceptable items. While recycling may seem simple, many people aren’t aware of some basic guidelines about what to recycle at Ohio State and the proper way to recycle it.

Hitch a ride with CABS

With stops located throughout campus, the Campus Area Bus Service (CABS) provides more than 5 million free rides annually, making it easy for students, faculty, staff and visitors to get around campus without adding traffic to campus streets and pollution to the air.

While the majority of CABS buses are powered by biodiesel, the fleet also includes compressed natural gas and hybrid-electric buses.